A new study in Circulation: Heart Failure, a medical journal put out by the American Heart Association, has found a link between a higher risk of heart failure and the consumption of processed red meat in men. The study was conducted by researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and looked at 37,035 men. Over the course of twelve years, researchers found that those who ate 75 g or more of processed red meat a day were 28% more likely to experience heart failure than those who ate 25 g or less.

“The idea that people should eat less processed meat has been around for some time,” said Arash Bereliani, MD, FACC, a board certified cardiologist and founder of the Institute for Cardiology and Preventive Medicine in Beverly Hills. “This study, however, gives us good data to see that, yes, processed red meat does have an effect on our risk for heart failure.”

While the study did not look at women, the authors expect the results will be the same. The study also concluded that the men who ate the most processed red meat had double the risk of death by heart failure over those who ate the least.

“The takeaway from this study is twofold,” said Dr. Bereliani. “First, we should be wary about how much processed red meat we consume because it can directly affect our heart health. Second, we should all strive to include more healthy foods in our diet such as vegetables, fish, and lean meats.”

PREVENTIVE CARDIOLOGY

At the Institute for Cardiology and Preventive Medicine in Beverly Hills, Dr. Bereliani not only treats cardiac disease, he works to help avoid it through preventive cardiology.

“At the Institute for Cardiology and Preventive Medicine we believe that optimal health is more than just the absence of disease,” said Dr. Bereliani. “It is about helping the body reach the best shape it can and heading off disease before it develops.”

In order to help patients achieve optimal health, Dr. Bereliani offers a unique, boutique-based approach to cardiovascular health. This includes services for cardiology, weight loss, internal medicine, and health optimization with an emphasis on the prevention of disease.

ABOUT DR. BERELIANI

Arash Bereliani, MD, FACC, is a Beverly Hills cardiologist with board certification in cardiovascular diseases, cardiac computed tomography, nuclear cardiology, and internal medicine. Dr. Bereliani currently serves as a cardiologist on staff in the Division of Cardiology at the world-renowned Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute. He is also a clinical instructor at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. Dr. Bereliani’s academic duties involve teaching as well as conducting original research on nuclear cardiology and cardiac imaging. His areas of interest include cardiac imaging, cardiac diseases, preventative cardiology, and integrative cardiology.